QUESTIONS & ANSWERS (90)

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.   Today is our Q&A Lesson.

 

B.   Before we get to the questions, let consider what happens to the brain when we hear a question. 

1.    First, there is focus.  The brain can only consider one thought at a time.  A question demands the brain’s attention.

2.    Second, there is insight.  The brain gets in gear trying to reason and come up with an answer to the question.

3.    Third, there is positive emotion.  When we are asked a question, that part of the brain associated with reward and pleasure is triggered.

4.    Fourth, there is change.  What we think about we become.  Questions cause us to think and ponder.  Slowly the thoughts bring change in a person’s behavior.

 

C.   Today, we have three questions that we will be studying.

 

I.             QUESTION #1:  John 18:31-32, The Jews Could not Put A Person to Death

 

A.   Stated:  In requesting Pilate to crucify Jesus, why did the Jews say in John 18:31-32, “It is not lawful for us to put any man to death”?

1.    Leviticus 20:9-29 clearly teaches that they COULD put people to death for a number of reasons.

2.    And, Scripture tells of the stoning people to death (e.g., Stephen, etc.)

 

B.   Answer:

1.    John 18:31

 

Then Pilate said unto them, Take ye him, and judge him according to your law.  The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death.

 

2.    There are four points to understand in answering this question.

a.    Judea became a Roman province in 6 A.D. 

1)    Thus, the nation was controlled by the laws of the Roman government, especially Cesar.

2)    When Rome conquered a nation, she took away the conquered nation’s ability to practice capital punishment.  That punishment had to be approved by the Roman authorities.

b.    The Romans allowed the nations they conquered to continue to adhere to their laws as long as they did not violate the State’s laws. 

1)    Thus, when the laws dealt solely with the Jewish religion, they could carry out the punishment required by their law.

2)    However, if the matter involved the State in any way, the matter had to be brought to the governor of the province.

3)    NOTE:  Jesus had claimed to be a king.  This caused the matter to be directed to the Roman authorities. 

c.    There were times when the Roman government delegated authorities to the rulers of the provinces. 

1)    This authority allowed the ruler to put some to death.

2)    James was put to death by Herod (Acts 12:1-2).  At first, Christianity appeared to be an offshoot of Judaism and was creating a stir in the province.  Herod may have been trying to squash the movement so Rome would not have to intervene.

 

Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.  And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.

 

d.    There were times when mobs rose up and put a certain individuals to death due to their teachings or behavior. 

1)    Stephen’s case began in the synagogue wherein he was disputing with the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and Asia (Acts 6:9).

2)    Individuals were coerced to falsely testify against Stephen, saying:  “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God” (Acts 6:11).

3)    When the council of the Jews set Stephen before it, there were many other people who were listening to Stephen speak as well (See Acts 6:12).

4)    The words of Stephen brought forth the anger of all the Jews gathered there, not just the council.  In other words, they became a mob and took Stephen and killed him (Acts 7:54, 57-58).

 

When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth…Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, and cast him out of the city, and stoned him…

 

5)    NOTE:  Again, if these matters involved the laws and customs of the people who were subjects of Rome, Rome would not get involved even if a murder occurred.  The Jews certainly did not care about the death of Stephen.  In their mind, they were disposing themselves of a troubler.

 

II.           QUESTION #2:  Jewish and Christian Training of Children

 

A.   Stated:  Why is it that when a Jewish father told his child what he/she was going to be in life (Deut. 6:6-7; Prov. 22:16) that it was accepted by secular society, but if a Christian father does the same thing, he is being oppressive.  Is it because Judaism is considered more ancient than Christianity by secular people?

 

B.   Answer:

1.    I am not fully abreast of all that lies behind this question. 

a.    The secular world is mentioned twice:  “secular society” and “secular people.” 

b.    I would need a little bit more information to comment correctly about the secular view of the Jews versus Christianity.

2.    Here is what we can comment on.

a.    In the Jewish culture, young men could be taught in three ways.

1)    First, parents were required to teach their children the Law of Moses.  This is the admonition of Deuteronomy 6:6-7.

 

And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:  and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

 

2)    Second, all male children were required to be taught a trade, that is, an occupation that involved the use of their hands.

a)    Jesus was a carpenter (Mark 6:3)

b)    Paul was a tentmaker (Acts 18:1-3)

c)    Peter, James and John were fishermen (Matt. 4:18-21)

3)    Some children were fortunate enough to be sent to the rabbinical schools and be trained in the law by the scholars of Israel. 

a)    Paul had been trained at the feet of Gamaliel (Acts 22:3).

 

I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers…

 

b)    NOTE:  Paul was both a tentmaker and a Jewish rabbi.

c)    Those who did not receive that type of training were considered to be ignorant and unlearned men (Acts 4:13).

b.    In our present society and in the Christian age, we educate our children somewhat differently.

1)    Christian parents will seek to bring their children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Eph. 6:4).

2)    Secular education can take three paths.

a)    University education

b)    A trade

c)    An extracurricular activity:  piano, band, gymnastics, art, drama, sports (Some children excel in one of these activities and make a living doing this later in life.)

3)    NOTE:  Some children do not get trained in either method. 

a)    They enter the job market after high school.  They learn skills in various jobs that are worked.  These skills enable them to climb up the ranks of various companies and make decent money in time.

b)    Others build successful businesses of their own and make a good living as entrepreneurs. 

4)    If parents today tried to force their children to learn a trade before leaving home, they would be considered cruel if the child did not want to learn. 

a)    This, however, is cultural in nature. 

b)    There are many children who are trained in various things by their parents as they grow up:  farming, mechanics, carpentry, electricity, cooking, caring for animals, etc.

 

III.         QUESTION #3:  Luke 11:33-36

 

A.   Stated:  Can you please explain Luke 11:33-36

 

B.   Answer

1.    Luke 11:33-36

 

No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light.  The light of the body is the eye:  therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness.  Take heed therefore, that the light which is in thee be not darkness.  If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bring shining of a candle doth give thee light.

 

2.    Let’s divide this passage into four sections:

a.    The Common Practice (Luke 11:33)

1)    When a person lit a candle, he did not hide it in some secret obscure place.

2)    The purpose of a candle is to shine.

3)    Thus, it is put on a candlestick, “that they which come in may see the light.”

b.    The Core Knowledge (Luke 11:34)

1)    The eye is the only member of the body that needs light to function properly.

2)    When the eye is focused and the light is good, then, “the whole body also is full of light.”  In other words, the body can respond properly to the object that the eye has seen.

3)    However, if the eye is evil, that is, if it is hindered in any way, the whole body is full of darkness, that is, the body cannot respond properly to that which the eye is trying to see.

a)    The light may not be very good.

b)    The eye may not focus properly upon the object.

c)    There may be something in the eye.

c.    The Certain Warning (Luke 11:35)

1)    Jesus returns to the spiritual application of the teaching.

2)    Christians want their lives to be lights, candles on candlesticks to those in the world.

3)    This cannot be done if our lives are hindered by darkness.  Sin, secularism, materialism, and selfishness can create the darkness.

d.    The Crowning End (Luke 11:36)

1)    If we remove the darkness and focus on the light, that is, spiritual things, then our lives will manifest that light. 

2)    We will be just like the candle that shines brightly giving light to all that are in the house.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.   After almost every Q&A sermon, I make this same observation.  These questions really provide variety to our studies.

1.    We have looked at the Jews under the servitude of Rome.

2.    We have discussed the training of children in the Jewish economy and in our society today.

3.    We have examined a Biblical text and attempted to get the basic meaning from the words spoken by Jesus.

 

B.   Let’s close with this idea.

1.    God is light (1 John 1:5).

2.    He wants us to be lights (Matt. 5:14)

a.    Conversion removes the darkness of sin and enables us to shine as lights in the world.

b.    As Christians we must always give heed to Jesus’ warning:  “Take heed therefore, that the light which is in thee be not darkness.” 

c.    If darkness enters into our lives, we need to repent of the sin, confess it, and allow the blood of Jesus to remove it from our lives.